1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus which uses a service provided by a server, an information processing system, control methods thereof, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as a system form that provides services using the Internet, a cloud computing system is put into practical use. The user need only prepare for a minimum required connection environment without any hardware resources such as a server so as to use services provided by the cloud computing system, that is, so-called cloud services.
The cloud services include a service which provides a microblog function as a communication tool. The microblog function is a short blog function, which allows a user having an account in the service to publish short text of 100 to 200 letters, which is called “tweet”, as a “message” or “comment”. The user in this case includes, for example, a printer, cooperative service, and the like, that is, an object, application, and the like on the cloud service, and is not limited to an existing user (human). A unique identifier is assigned to each “message” or “comment” published by the user. In the microblog function, when the user registers a “message”, a “timeline” which can register, display, and manage “comments” related to the registered “message” as a list is created. An electronic file can be appended to a “message” or “comment”. For example, a character string “data for xxx” and electronic data as an entity of the data can be registered as a “message” or “comment”.
On the other hand, image forming apparatuses represented by MFPs (Multi Function Printers) have gained advanced and multiple functions. In recent years, an image forming apparatus which incorporates not only basic functions such as a scan function and print function required to convert a paper document into electronic data and to print such data, but also a network interface (to be abbreviated as a network I/F hereinafter) has been developed. The image forming apparatus which incorporates the network I/F provides various solutions in cooperation with external systems and external services connected via a network. For example, the image forming apparatus which incorporates the network I/F stores print job data, and can execute print processing according to that print job data as needed. As a conventional print instruction method, for example, a method of displaying a job data list on a Web browser of a client, and pressing a URL of a print target job is available. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-159961 has proposed a technique for temporarily converting print job data into print data and storing the print data in the image forming apparatus in advance, thereby increasing a print execution speed when printing is required.
However, the related art suffers problems to be described below. A case will be assumed wherein the user registers a file-attached “message” or “comment” using the microblog function in an environment in which tasks are carried out using the microblog function provided by the cloud service. At this time, when an attached file is to be printed using the image forming apparatus, the conventional technique is required to follow complicated procedures. That is, the attached file is downloaded and is opened using an application that can handle the attached file, and a printer driver is selected to issue a print instruction. On the other hand, when attached data is registered as a print job in advance, a simple print execution instruction can be issued by a remote print instruction. However, a case in which a print job is generated from a comment on the microblog function to execute print processing is not supported.